This is a charmingly appealing story about second chances. When Helen met Cal when he joined her on the track team, he was kind of geeky and not very popular. In high school, things changed for Cal, and he left Helen behind. After a night between them goes tragically wrong, Cal refuses to stand up for Helen, and it changes the trajectory of her life. Years later, while out with her granddaughter, she runs into Cal and his granddaughter. At first, she is outraged but then she decides to try to talk to him about what happened all those years ago.

At first, Cal seems like a horrible person and you don't even know why Helen would ever want to talk to him again. However, eventually, it becomes clear how much he has grown and changed over the years and taken responsibility for his mistakes. His life hasn't gone like he thought it would over the years either. He and Helen slowly develop a really sweet relationship. You can't helo rooting for them. Plus, it's nice to read a book about a couple of a certain age and be reminded that it's never too late to start again and lead the life you always wanted to.

Wow! Another winner from Juliette Fay! I absolutely loved the author’s last novel, Catch Us When We Fall, so I just knew that I’d love her latest, The Half of It. I really loved the overall vibe of this book, with it’s down-to-earth characters, and intriguing plot. It’s super cute, charming, comical, fairly lighthearted, but definitely not fluffy or cheesy. It’s the perfect book to pick up after a heavier read.

Do you remember your high school sweetheart? Your secret crush? Or that one friend that just truly got you? Did they hurt you? Ghost you? Or perhaps you just grew apart? What if you got the chance to rekindle that connection forty years later? This is exactly the case for old friends, Helen Spencer and Cal Crosby. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, anxious to know exactly what happened to their severed relationship many years ago.

READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ENJOY:

- Second chance romance novels
- Dual timelines
- Reminiscing about high school
- Mature characters
- Redemption and forgiveness stories
- Themes of motherhood, marriage, and friendship
- Family dynamics
- Witty banter between characters
- Novels set during the Covid-19 pandemic

I know that I’m probably in the minority when I say that I enjoy reading novels set during the Covid-19 pandemic, but hear me out. What’s different about this novel is that it’s set during the aftermath of all the horrific ugliness, not when we were right in the thick of it. It’s 2021, and the world is slowly trying to get back to normal. Hopefully that will give you some reassurance to not immediately brush this one off. Also, it’s merely a backdrop, and not a major part of the storyline.

The Half of It is available now, and it gets 4.5/5 stars from me! Highly recommend!

I got to about 17% and needed to put it down. I couldn’t connect with the characters and I was a bit bored. I’ve seen so many great reviews on this but I just couldn’t get into it.

“I’m wondering if we can be friends again" is the central question of Juliette Fay's The Half of It. Cal and Helen were high school best friends who were in love (though somewhat in denial about it). When one magical night between them goes awry, they carry the hurt and aftermath well into adulthood. At 58, Helen is a grandmother and bumps into none other than Cal, giving them a chance to reconnect and possibly get a second chance. As the two begin to talk, they begin to realize that they don't even know the half of what the other has endured since that night back in high school-- can they reach an understanding? Can they forgive?

This is a very well-written book that is largely character driven. It took me a while to settle into the story, but once I did, I was pretty immersed. At times, the story felt a little long, but I also understood that this needed to feel like a saga in order to fully appreciate the dynamic between Cal and Helen. The present timeline is set during the Covid-19 pandemic (2021), but I did not find this to be particularly triggering. Fay writes about members of family "bubbles," social distancing, and Zoom. Unpacking both Helen's and Cal's lives following that night in the woods was intriguing, and my heart ached for what they each had to endure. While I still preferred Catch Us When We Fall, this was a solid read about second chances and repairing relationships.

Thank you to Willlam Morrow, and getredpr, for a review copy of The Half of It by Juliette Fay. What a charming second chance story that is a win for me, I love books that are set in later adulthood/midlife and that honor that feeling of wanting more/having hopes at all ages. Love and friendship and heartwarming connections to themes on romance and second chances.

The characters and family relationships read as very relatable to me and I found the pacing and character development to be engaging and delightfully charming (and escapist).

This is a perfect read for a rainy Sunday afternoon, for an afternoon by the water or in a hammock, and a great choice for bookclubs looking for a charming second chance story.

Thanks to William Morrow for the copy of this book.

Helen and Cal became friends while running in high school, and quickly developed feelings that culminated in one night together that changed the course of their lives and caused them to part ways. Years later when they’re nearing 60, they unexpectedly run into each other while watching their grandkids.

I loved the first 25% of this book with its unique storyline going back and forth from a YA high school story to older adults experiencing the pandemic, going through life changes, and reuniting. After that, through, I discovered I’m not sure I’m the demographic for this read. I found the premise of their one night together in high school a bit over-the-top, especially since they were hung up on it for so many years. After they reunite, I was also frustrated by the marriage situation and advice Cal’s therapist gave him knowing the root of his deep shame - it was just bad advice. In the end, I was disappointed where this book ended up.

This book is just the kind of book I like to read. I liked the story of young love, young friendship, lost love, lost friendship, rekindled love, rekindled friendship. I didn't like some of the characters or their decisions but I don't like some of the characters or decisions in my real life either. I am happy to recommend this book to friends.

While I thought the book was well written I feel the story was somewhat predictable & maybe a bit far-fetched.

The Half of It is a story of second chances, getting answers to life long questions, and deciding if it's possible to move forward. As always, I enjoyed Juliette Fay's novel about how her imperfect characters figured things out. Recommended to fans of the author, 'what if' stories, and dual timelines (1970s and 2021). Just a heads up: much of the current story takes place mid Covid pandemic. I'm okay reading the occasional novel set in that time but it's not something I seek out. The author did a good job portraying how her characters handled living through that time making them even more relatable.

I loved the first two-thirds of the book and could sympathize with the main characters through their significant and life altering high school years. I loved seeing what they had become forty years later and the lives they had lived before meeting up accidentally again.

However, I think the author tried to extend the novel too far and lost my interest. I skimmed through the last third of the book and was also disappointed in the ending, which was not at all satisfying.

Synopsis: At its core, Half of It is a story about two high school friends, who at now 58 years old, have the chance to reconnect and potentially get a second chance.

Thoughts: There was a lot of emotion packed into this book. I loved the themes of finding love later in life, learning and owning up to your mistakes and gaining second chances through forgiveness. The messy family drama felt realistic, and the side storyline with Helen and her childhood best friend Francie was heartwarming. While one of the two timelines took place during the pandemic (late 2021), I think Fay was gentle in her handling of this topic and referenced it in the same way I did with my friends and family during that time. Still, I do find it strange to read about it in books as there are so few that reference it.

Read if you like:
-Past/ present timelines
-Family drama
-Women’s fiction with a side romance storyline
-New England setting

Thank you William Morrow for the free copy of this book! Pub Date 4/11

A slow burn, second chance romance with a mature couple. It has dual timelines so you can get a better understanding of what went wrong with the couple in their teenage years and how that impacted the rest of their lives.

It was definitely a lot slower than I would have liked. There was never a huge urge to pick it back up after setting it down for me either.

It does mention COVID and the pandemic a lot which always throws me off since I still feel like we are in the aftermath of all the trauma and fears we had during that time.

Triggers: COVID, cheating, death of a parent, death of a spouse

Helen is 58 and one random day she runs into Cal – her high school sweetheart. She’s worked so hard to forget the one night they spent together in the woods way back when but now its all coming back to her. She’s lived her entire life trying to get past the love she had for him. Now her husband has passed, but he is married and wants to be just friends. Will they be able to work this out? Or should they each go back to their separate lives.
I would equate this book to a hallmark movie – its just warm and cozy and lovely. I loved how the book flashed back between the current and the past. I always feel that adds so much to the story and adds a lot of depth to the characters. I also love reading books that deal with Covid, it helps normalize the traumatic thing we all went through. I also enjoyed the friendships in this book and how realistically they were written. The grandparent involvement with the children’s lives was beautiful. It is always great when grandparents can be part of the new generation.

If you are looking for a delightful coming of age second chance romance, then I hope you check this one out April 11th.

The Half of It is a thought-provoking story of what happens after the not so happily-ever-after of a teenage romance. Part of the story is a teenage romance, between protagonist Helen and her friend, turned more than a friend, Cal. But things end badly for the pair and they end up going their separate ways…until they’re fifty-eight years old and accidentally reunited by Cal’s grandson Logan. At first Helen isn’t too enthusiastic about the reunion, but it gives the pair the opportunity to make piece and pushes Helen down a path to also reunite with her childhood friend Francie. Suddenly the small world the pandemic has condensed her life into starts to expand with the second chances she is blessed with. The relationship with Francie is relatively straightforward but she starts to realize that the more time she spends with Cal the more she wonders if she can just be okay with just being friends. This story is great for not over romanticizing anything. In some regards everything that Helen, Cal and Francie go through in adulthood seems like a lot as they’re relaying it to each other, but in many regards most of it is just life happening. Their relationships with their kids are pretty normal, and subsequently not always perfect. Their kids have their own problems. I didn’t always feel like I was invested in the emotional upheaval that Helen went through; it had that somewhat dispassionate recounting feeling to it of trying to convey that the experiences are what they are, instead of felt deeply when they’re happening. But overall I loved this second chance reconnection story that reflects all the messiness of life. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I picked a great story to read on a fourteen hour plane ride. I loved the Helen, Francie and Cal characters and how their friendships grew and evolved through high school. Helen's family situation was drawn so well with all the love, kindness, and messiness you would expect, especially during the teenage years. This is the story of love and loss, rekindling of friendships, and exploring what might have been along with the reality of what is. It is a story about healing through honesty and what happens when you do. I am definitely going to read more by this author!

This book was an expected win for me. Told in two timelines, 1980s and 2021, following Helen and how her high school experiences with love and friendship affected her entire life.

In the present-day timeline, Helen is a grandma who lost her husband and mother during COVID. She's recently moved to be closer to one of her grandchildren and she happens to run into her high school sweetheart.

The way the pandemic was referenced was actually healing and comforting to me. The tone was sober, but mostly matter-of-fact in a way that felt very real to how I think about the pandemic today.

This book devotes a lot of time to exploring infidelity through multiple perspectives. I'd say it's one of the major themes, actually. What does it mean to cheat, how does it affect both people in a relationship, etc. I loved reading how the characters work through the morality and ethics of their choices.

There were a few off-hand things the characters said that rubbed me the wrong way, mostly gender stuff that felt very realistic, it was still cringe. Mostly in the "in poor taste" category and not necessarily problematic. Won't age well.

Overall it just felt very authentic. I love seeing older women as the center of their own story.

Loved this book so much. Such a sweet story and introspective view of teenage love, angst, fitting in, and all the woulda shoulda couldas of life. Character development was superb. This is a story that lingers.

This was a well written story, with then/now timelines.
I liked the dual timelines, but I preferred the present day story than the past.

I enjoyed this overall!

So not my usual genre, but definitely good writing / storytelling.
Definitely preferred the present-day storyline over the past, but did enjoy the brief more recent flashbacks to introduce past events.
Lots of thoughtful insights & good life lessons.

With thanks to Book Club Girl & NetGalley for this e-ARC!

This was definitely a bit outside of my normal reading genres but I really enjoyed it!

I loved the way the flashback chapters fit with the current day chapters. Excellent pacing and flow that had me locked in!

A gorgeous and emotional exploration of coming of age, friendship, family, love, and the choices we make throughout all of it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to review an advance copy.